The intended outcome of the Excursions Project is to provide Oasis clients with experiences that could potentially improve their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as expand their experience of life in Wales. The goal is to achieve this by formulating a variable programme of activities and location visits.

Initially, Covid-19 restrictions were having a limited impact on the project, but as restrictions were lifted, opportunities gradually increased. Between April 2021, and November 2021, there were a total of 35 excursions, which included: a visit to Tredegar House, Cardiff Museum, feeding elephants at Skanda Vale, Dyffryn Gardens and Tinkinswood, Llantarnam Grange Gallery, Cadw, Ridgeway Walk starting from Cefn Onn, and the Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons 

   

As part of the Excursions Project, one of our Integration officers has been taking clients on a weekly trip to the Down to Earth Project, which is a social enterprise that engages with people who experience some form of social inequality, which aims to improve well-being through outdoor activities and skills development. Working closely with staff, patients from the hospital, and the wider community, the aim of the project is to create an outdoor healthcare and rehabilitation facility based on 14 acres of woodland and meadow next to the hospital. The Oasis Cardiff and Down to Earth partnership has worked really well, as clients have been enrolled in a 6-week course where they can build on skills each week and gain a sense of confidence.

Wales National Trust has also recently offered us free access to all of their sites which has been very popular. We have also partnered up with Pedal Power which has been extremely well-received, especially by those who learned to ride a bike during the sessions. 

So far the Client Excursions project has reached hundreds of clients, and Oasis is looking forward to the increase of excursions for our clients in the coming years, we are aiming for approximately 40 excursions per year.

We are always in need of volunteers to help us organise and facilitate our trips please visit our Volunteer Roles page to find out more.